GRAM ROJGAR SAHAYAK

Gram Rozgar Sevak (GRS) 26.9.12

Centre to states: appoint permanent staffin gram panchayats

New Delhi, Sep 21 (PTI):

The Centre has suggested to the states to appointpermanent staff in gram panchayats for the implementation of rural developmentschemes like NREGA, promising that it will provide them funds to meet initialexpenditure on salaries for eight years.

The proposal for recruitment of dedicated staff inrural areas w

ill be applicable to the districts where over Rs 100 crorefund of NREGA is being spent or to the panchayats where population is between4000 to 5000, Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj C P Joshisaid on Tuesday.

"We have sent the concept to the states," he said, adding a meetingwith the state Panchayati Raj secretaries is scheduled tomorrow to discuss thematter.

Joshi said there is no structure of "dedicated" staff in a largenumber of panchayats across the country.

"There is lack of staff in about 70,000 gram panchayts," he said.

About two lakh people, engaged in the implementation of NREGA, are working oncontract basis in different states. "This will not do. There should be astructure of dedicated staff in panchayats for better implementation of theschemes," he said.

There are about 2.44 lakh panchayats across the country and each of thesepanchayats should have at least four dedicated staff including one panchayatdevelopment officer who is an MBA and well-versed with the knowledge ofcomputer operations, Joshi said.

The minister suggested that states can phase out the staff working on contractbasis and create a dedicated structure by recruiting people through their stateselection committees.

"Whichever state will agree to our proposal, Government of India willprovide funds for eight years to the state government concerned to establishsuch structure of dedicated staff in gram panchayats," he said.

80 per cent of the part of the salaries of these staffs will be given by Centrein first year and it will gradually be reduced and finally the responsibilityfor payment will totally be left on the states after 8 years, he said.

States, interested in the proposal of his ministry, will have to sign an MoUwith the Centre, he added.